In 2021, Liberation Aloud - the debate team - was birthed with 12 men in the Richland Correctional Institution in Mansfield, Ohio.  Initially, it was created by Jamel Dontez Hatcher and called the Mjadala Club (swahili for “debate” - pronounced juh-dah-luh). Once he and his wife, JaNaé began Liberation Aloud, this movement for justice impacted people, it felt right to give their elite team in the club its namesake. 

In October of 2023, Liberation Aloud was inducted into the National Prison Debate League - the first in Ohio to have that honor. They hosted their first debate against the University of Indiana with the topic of raising the age of what is considered a juvenile offense to 21 years old. They were voted by a bench of longtime debate judges and experts as the decisive winners! 

They are currently preparing for their next debate, expected to happen late 2024. For more information about the National Prison Debate League: https://npdl.org/